Reviews & Ratings

2021 Stags Leap Winery Merlot "Napa Valley"

Winery: Stags Leap Winery

Vintage: 2021

Wine Name/Vineyard: "Napa Valley"

Wine Category: Merlot

Grape blend: 99% Merlot & 1% Malbec

Bottle size: 750 ml

Region: Napa Valley

State or country: CA

Price: $40

Cases produced: unknown

KWG Score: 92 (based on 1 review)

Ken's Wine Rating: Very Good+ (92)

Review date: August 23, 2024

Wine Review: This garnet-colored Merlot from Stags Leap Winery opens with a mild cassis and pencil lead bouquet with hints of cocoa and coffee grounds. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with integrated medium plus acidity. The mouthfeel is very smooth and a little zesty. The flavor profile is a mild black raspberry and graphite blend with notes of tobacco and black currant. We also detected hints of black tea, cranberry, black pepper, and oak. The finish is dry, and its tannins stick around for quite some time. The Tasting Panel would pair this Merlot with grilled hanger steak or a Kona coffee encrusted sirloin steak. Enjoy – KWGTP

Winemaker Notes: This Merlot is fresh and pure, offering a captivating bouquet of dark cherry, red berries, and perfumed rose petals intertwined with subtle baking spiced notes of cedar and clove from the well-integrated oak. On the palate, rustic yet refined tannins provide a medium body and crunchy mouth-pleasing texture, with layered flavors of black cherry, red raspberry, tobacco leaf, and rooibos tea amid a backdrop of juicy, mouthwatering acidity and a hint of tartness reminiscent of cherries jubilee. The long and savory finish has hints of sagebrush, bittersweet dark chocolate, and earthy minerality, demonstrating a harmonious balance of tension and grace—a truly beautiful and complex expression of Napa Valley Merlot.

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